Lufthansa Group acquires 90% stake in ITA Airways

Dr. Johannes Teyssen has been elected as the new Chairman of the Supervisory Board of the group.

Deutsche Lufthansa AG has concluded its 73rd Annual General Meeting. Approximately 1,600 shareholders participated in the meeting. During the meeting the group announced that it will acquire an additional 49% stake in the Company, for a value of EUR 325 million, thereby increasing its shareholding to 90% of ITA Airways. The remaining 10% stakes will be retained by the Italian Ministry of Economy and Finance.

The transaction is subject to regulatory approvals, primarily from the European Commission and the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and is expected to close in the first quarter of 2027. Following this, ITA Airways will be fully integrated into the Lufthansa Group, both organisationally and financially.

“This new phase represents a step of major industrial and strategic significance for ITA Airways. Over the past few years, we have built a solid, recognisable company focused on quality, thanks to the contribution of our people and the trust of our customers, and Deutsche Lufthansa’s decision is a clear demonstration of the good work carried out so far,” said Joerg Eberhart, Chief Executive Officer and General Manager of ITA Airways. “We look to the future with ambition and responsibility: full integration into the Lufthansa Group will allow us to compete more strongly in international markets, while continuing to bring to the world the value of Italy, its connectivity and its capacity for innovation.” 

On the acquisition, Carsten Spohr, CEO of the Lufthansa Group and Chairman of the Executive Board of Deutsche Lufthansa AG, said, “Following the acquisition of the first 41% stake in ITA Airways last year, we promised the fastest airline integration in our history. We aimed to complete all major integration steps into the Lufthansa Group within just 18 months.” 

Notably, Dr. Johannes Teyssen has been elected as the new Chairman of the Supervisory Board of the group, succeeding Dr. Karl-Ludwig Kley, who had been a member of the Supervisory Board since 2013 and its chairman since 2017.

There was total nine items on the agenda for the Annual General Meeting, which were approved by the shareholders by a large majority. By a large majority, they thereby granted discharge to the members of the Executive Board and the Supervisory Board for the fiscal year 2025.

The agenda items for the Annual General Meeting included, among other things, the appropriation of retained earnings, which provides for the distribution of a dividend of EUR 0.33 per share, as well as the election of members of the Supervisory Board of Deutsche Lufthansa AG. Dr. Johannes Teyssen, former Chairman of the Executive Board and CEO of E.ON SE, and Wolfgang Nickl, member of the Executive Board and CFO of Bayer AG, were newly elected to the Supervisory Board. Karl Gernandt, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Kühne Holding AG, was re-elected to the Supervisory Board.

In his speech, CEO Spohr addressed Kley and said, “You have shaped our transformation. Our shared path to success, with its highs, lows, achievements, and crises. And especially during crises, you have always been a unique source of support for me personally.”